By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive Patreon
Honduras - The Source - The Root - etc
EDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 26 – In the 1MDB scandal Inner City Press live tweeted a proceeding in August 2020, here and below.
On January 28, 2021 Ng Chong Hwa, a.k.a. “Roger Ng" was applying to be released on a curfew. Inner City Press live tweeted it here.
On January 26, 2021 U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York Chief Judge Margo K. Brodie held another proceeding. Inner City Press covered it, as it intends to cover the trial set to start on February 7.
But on January 26 it emerged that if any juror is unvaccinated, no member of the public - or press? - will be allowed in the courtroom. Is this, then, a public trial? There were also arguments about an account run by Ng's wife, and a statement that there are no jury trials in Malaysia. But is the US, or EDNY, moving to trials with no public or press in the courtroom? Watch this site - Inner City Press is increasingly covering the EDNY, see here and here and more.
On January 7, Judge Brodie agreed that Ng should get back $750,000 of his $1 million bond, to pay his lawyers. This was over the objection of the prosecutors, who said Malaysia only agreed to release Ng in light of the $1 million bond.
Talk turned to COVID and Omicron. Ng's lawyer acknoweldge that the variants has reached the defense, "maybe even me." Still he agreed to the new delayed trial date of February 7. Watch this site.
AUSA: We are concerned that Mr. Ng would or could flee, if no longer confined to him home.
Judge Margo K. Brodie: Would he flee back to Malaysia from which he consented to extradition?
AUSA: As we approach trial, as he sees the 3500 evidence, it is a concern.... We conferred with our office of International Affairs and this is where we ended up.
Pre-Trial Services Ms. Carter: We don't object to a curfew, but location monitoring should continue.
Ng's defense lawyer: We don't believe your Honor is bound by, or party to, the treaty.
Judge Brodie: I will go with Pre-Trial and allow a curfew. The 2d Circuit's recent decision in Schwartz said the court delegated too much to Probation. So I'll set hours.
Ng's lawyer: Curfew from 8 pm to 8 am?
Judge Brodie: OK. Subject to Pre-Trial. Let's get together in a month, or really, mid-March since the administration order runs through March 1. March 18 at 10 am. Adjourned.
Jump cut to December 21, 2021 - Ng's counsel says he wants the grand jury materials about Malysian money laundering. He is also pushing back against having to preview for the government how he will do cross-examination with materials the government already has.
Inner City Press will stay on this case.
From October 22, "today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Goldman Sachs entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section and Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Sections (the Department) in connection with a criminal information filed in the Eastern District of New York charging the Company with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. GS Malaysia pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to a one-count criminal information charging it with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. Previously, Tim Leissner, the former Southeast Asia Chairman and a Participating Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the FCPA and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Ng Chong Hwa, also known as “Roger Ng,” former Managing Director of Goldman and Head of Investment Banking for GS Malaysia, has been charged with conspiracy to violate the FCPA and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Ng was extradited from Malaysia to face these charges and is scheduled for trial in March 2021. All four cases are assigned to U.S. District Judge Margo K. Brodie of the Eastern District of New York."
For those counting, HSBC also got a deferred prosecution agreement. And the Federal Reserve, in the shadows, has let Goldman Sachs into bank, and rubber stamps mergers like by Banco Bradesco to this day. From August 2020:
OK - in EDNY, 1MDB / Malaysia defendant EDNY Ng Chong Hwa, a.k.a. “Roger Ng" charged with conspiring to launder billions of dollars embezzled from 1Malaysia Development is before Judge Margo K. Brodie. Inner City Press will live tweet - thread
Judge Brodie says there is a back-up of cases caused by COVID19, no assurance this trial can go forward in January 2021. Says won't have real info in September - even if protocol is in place, it will still be being tested. AUSA points out extradition from Malaysia
AUSA says a status conference in early October would be fine "even if the trial is moved a little bit." Defense lawyer: I understand the difficulties of the court. But I'd like to convince the government or your Honor to loosen Mr Ng's conditions of home detention
Defense lawyer: Malaysia is not allowing Americans into the country at all, at least until September. This is a challenge we face. We'd like Mr. Ng to get out a bit more, and exercise. Judge: I think the parties should work that out.
The case is US v. Jho, et al., 18-cr-538 (Brodie)
***
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.
